After the euphoria and assurances that the Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation was going to pay off depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank, the reality on the ground now is gloom, as designated officials refuse to answer calls
Stories by Muhammed Haruna and Cynthia Edema, from Abuja.
Depositors are miffed at the moment; upon all the hype and previous assurances, what is clear on the horizon is an abdication of responsibility. “No one wants to answer calls anymore in NDIC”, said an aggrieved depositor. “I thought we are not going to have any of the Nigerian factor, sentiments and all that”, charged the same depositor; but now lamenting, the depositor shook his head in dismay regretting his fate. “I kept faith with Heritage; I kept banking with them, not knowing the bank was going under”, he said, praying for intervention from heaven. But as it is, heaven’s intervention this time may be far, for depositors to get a reprieve. A visit to the Utako office of the NDIC showed tight-lipped officials struggling in vain to prevent depositors from gaining entry. “We have orders to shut the gate and not to allow anyone to come in”, disclosed a uniformed man stationed at the gate. Instead, he referred depositors to make calls to respective officers handling their cases.
But investigation reveals that all the allocated telephone numbers are blocked! Only an engaged tone would welcome desperate callers further worsening their plight. “What’s the big deal in paying depositors”, asked a fair complexioned lady who stood calmly by the gate. Well, the answer might not come so soon. Because, in reality, an otherwise simple task is about to be muddled through confusion, apathy, and disinterest. “They asked us to fill forms, get an Alternate account which we have done”, said another depositor; now, according to him, the news out there is that some crooks have infiltrated the process and they are trying to sort out the differences! Now, two months after the sudden closure of the bank, depositors are in a quandary; further investigation reveals they have been left in the lurch—in the cold! “Who is going to rescue us from this mess”, shouted another depositor who couldn’t hide his disdain for NDIC.
And he is right, because, NDIC is making no effort to talk to depositors! “I want my money paid”, screamed a young man who said he had all his life savings in there. Of course, since everyone stranded at the premises was a complainant no one attempted to comfort the other. Motorists, unconcerned, drove by without as much as a care. Naturally, the National Assembly has not come out to summon NDIC officials to answer questions because they aren’t involved! The puzzle, however, is why would NDIC allocate numbers and desk officers to talk to depositors when they know it is mere window dressing. What is the commitment of the managing director of the corporation to depositors?
A quick check exposed the fact that indeed the so-called “insurance” for depositor’s funds is a hoax-a deception to assuage the unsuspecting public. “What I see there is plain lawlessness that is playing out”, charged one Ismaila Abu who said he is not afraid to have his name in print. “This is the way we are in this country and it is unfortunate; we rob ourselves and pretend nothing is happening” he added, stressing the fact that only violence may produce results should the trend continue. For, now, the NDIC is said to be disposing of the Assets of the defunct bank before depositors can be paid; they have clearly shown no appetite to go after loan defaulters that plunged the bank into this mess in the first place. “That’s the surprise, someone takes a loan, and refuses to pay and yet goes scot-free”, lamented Ismailia.
So the question now is: how would the disposal of assets meet depositors’ claim or demand? How long would depositors continue to wait? For now, it behooves NDIC to set up a professional PR desk to handle depositors. They owe them that responsibility and should not shy away from that fact! The habit of not answering depositor’s calls is criminal and demoralizing. Depositors are Nigerians and NDIC belongs to them—not the staff!
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